SOLDIERs Never Die
by rdf90
Summary: Not an Angel, not a Man.  Not the end of the world.  Knowing the future but with limited influence, what can a SOLDIER do?  Timetravel  kinda .  CloTi with hints of CloYuff.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

He was tired. The hero who had saved the Planet was worn, aged and weary.

He was the only one left now; the others had passed on to the Lifestream so long ago. They haunted his memories still, and if he paused to close his glowing eyes he could see them. Remember them all so clearly.

But that was long ago, and Cloud was an old man.

Vincent and Nanaki had held on the longest, he mused, far longer than any of the others. And Vincent wasn't really dead anyway, just returned to his sleeping. Though Nibelheim and the Shinra mansion that was once his home no longer existed. Instead he had retreated to Lucrecia's cave, and entombed himself within the crystal walls. He was hiding too.

Cloud wasn't sure he was hiding, exactly. More like running. Running endlessly around a world that seemed to have grown far too small.

Cloud was old. He had seen Nanaki find remnants of his tribe. Find a wife, have children. He had become quite a powerful leader. Protecting and guiding Cosmo Canyon for a couple of centuries before he too passed. Cloud had watched over his family after that, but eventually they too faded, and Nanaki's tribe passed from the memory of those still living on the Planet.

Cloud can remember all the times he's fought Sephiroth. The last time couldn't be more than fifty years ago, just before Vincent went back to sleep. The battle had been less than fulfilling. Cloud had killed Sephiroth once more, bringing the grand total to a number that he didn't even want to think about. It had been so easy this time, but it still felt like a loss.

Apparently Sephiroth had grown tired of their endless struggle. Which was a wonder in and of itself, Cloud mused. Who would have thought the unbreakable will of Sephiroth could ever be bent? But it had, and he no longer sought to conquer the world and move through the cosmos to find a new world. He had settled for just destroying the one he was on.

It was scary, and humbling, realizing just how much power Sephiroth had, even in his death. That last fight hadn't been a battle at all. Sephiroth had been nothing more than a solidified Mako body that came to tauntingly deliver his final message. Daring Cloud to try and defy him. But he didn't know how.

Eons seemed like they had passed. Truthfully Cloud was only about to reach his first millennia. The Mako in his body and the significant alterations he had undergone under Hojo's merciless ministrations had apparently made him immortal. Not completely of course, he could be killed- and damn if Masamune still didn't hurt like a bitch - but time just didn't seem to affect him at all. He was still stuck in his 21 year old body, wandering around the Planet for Shiva knows how long before he hopefully died.

He'd thought about killing himself before, even discussed it with Vincent. What a conversation that had been. His friend had arched an eyebrow at him in that aggravating way only he could manage and had managed to shut him up with only one sentence. "Tifa would be ashamed," before he walked away. That had been the last time they had spoken after the latest Sephiroth battle. So he had never gone through with it. Vincent was right, and he couldn't bear the thought of seeing his friends' reactions when he entered the Lifestream that way. In the back of his mind he used to be able to feel Aeris' disapproval for those thoughts when he was near the remains of her church. Sleeping by the blessed water from the battle with Kadaj, occasionally he could talk with her. Sometimes even Zack was there too. He wished he could see his other friends as well, but even Aeris hadn't known where in the Lifestream they were. So he had had to content himself with speaking to his two old friends, even if they only came infrequently.

Now he couldn't see them at all anymore. Even when he tried to reach out to the Lifestream through the Mako in his body, a trick he had learned with Nanaki, when he was helping to study the Lifestream in Cosmo. They had researched together for many years, and in an accident Cloud had managed to be covered in yet more Mako that his body had quickly absorbed. He had wings now, it was strange. Cloud used to wonder how Sephiroth manifested his wing. Now Cloud had two immaculate white wings that he could manifest. Cid had almost been jealous of Cloud, before he watched Cloud try to fly for the first time only to crash into a tree in a less than graceful manner. Cid nearly died laughing, and Yuffie didn't even bother trying to hide her guffaws as she rolled around on the ground. Cloud realized something then, his wings could hurt… Like a bitch. He'd managed to break a bone in his wing crashing into the tree and twisted himself up in the limbs something awful. Only Tifa tried to help him untangle himself but Cloud eventually gave up in disgust and dematerialized his wings… Causing him to fall and land squarely on Cid. Smirking, Cloud thought that at least he had finally shut Cid up.

One day much later he had even managed to startle Nanaki by learning to use the strange _thoughttwist_ that moved him across the Planet through the Lifestream, leaving only a few feathers behind as evidence. Cloud smiled at the memory. Yuffie had screamed bloody murder when he'd appeared dazed and confused in her shower. She had been less than pleased, and had vindictively capitalized on his embarrassment about the situation to mercilessly tease him for years afterwards. Cloud, for one, wondered where the heck she pulled Conformer from in the shower… Now he couldn't materialize anymore though.

No contact with the Lifestream and no movement through it.

The worst part was, he knew why.

He had tried to talk to Vincent about it, but the shadowy man would no longer awaken. Cloud had tried to reach out to his consciousness the same way he did with Aeris and Zack. But he had been blocked. He could feel the man was alive, and even feel the summons restrained within him struggling to awaken and escape. But they too were blocked. If it were even possible, Chaos, the Lord of Destruction looked pleadingly towards Cloud. As though begging his aid to be released, and Cloud was nearly overwhelmed by the _paindespairfear_ and _ragefuryhoplessness_ that the beast radiated. The other summons were disturbingly silent, and did not react at all to his prodding.

None of the summons responded anymore. All his materia were weak now. Cloud had to force out his Regen spell during the last fight with Sephiroth, and even that came reluctantly. Barely trickling through his body despite the fact that he grossly overpowered the spell with twice the usual energy it required. In the end he hadn't needed it though. First Tsurugi had easily been able to break through the faux body. Though the intense amount of Mako had actually begun corroding the sword, which even time had failed to accomplish. He supposed it was because Tsurugi had been made from elements from each of the WEAPONs that it had been so resistant to time. But now it was slowly disintegrating. Not that he really needed it anymore either though, but he was going to miss having something steady, constant being with him.

There weren't any humans left anymore. Beasts were exceedingly rare as well. The flora seemed to be holding on the best, though it was fading too. The once lush forests of Gongaga were diseased and blackened, and no new saplings to be seen. Even in the tropical islands plants were dying out, and there were none to replace them. Mideel was the only place in the world that he had found grass alive after this past winter, probably because it had been so close to the Lifestream.

It had been unusually harsh winter. It had encircled the Planet and was even now reluctant to withdraw its grip, though it was now nearing the end of March. At least Cloud thought that it was, it was hard to tell exact time now that there was no one else to care. He should check on Mideel again, Cloud thought idly, it might not be as green as it was in February any more. Not that it really mattered; he knew that all of the green would eventually fade.

Cloud spent most of his time at the Forgotten city now. It made him feel peaceful somehow and closer to his friends than even being by the blessed water. However, the glow from the trees was slowly beginning to fade in the Sleeping Forest. Time was running out.

Cloud wryly thought of the irony that he was probably the last thing truly alive on the Planet, after facing death so many times, and fighting with the man who was capable of bending reality to his will. He was the last one alive. What the fuck made him so special? He had always tried to save everyone else! Reeve had dryly pointed out that he had a glaring hero complex, even after he shook off his martyr complex. Could sighed in frustration. Life was cruel, and unfair. He always wanted the others to live on, no matter the cost to himself. And here he was. The last man standing. It was infuriating, but he didn't even have the energy for anger anymore. Even with Sephiroth, killing him was only out of sheer obligation anymore, there was no emotion involved. How could there be? There was nothing left for him to protect anymore. No people, no animals, not even plants! The Planet was dead, and he knew why. Killing Sephiroth one more time wouldn't bring anyone back. And there was nothing he could do about it.

Cloud gasped audibly, with surprise evident on his face. 'There went Vincent just now. Wow, after all these years I never thought he'd leave too. I can't believe that Sephiroth managed this! Why the hell did this happen! Was there ever anything I really could have done? Could I have saved Vincent? Could the Planet have been saved? Damn it! Ifrit's Hellfires, why does it all end like this!'

Cloud was broken from his interior monologue by a disturbing and achingly familiar feeling. A vile sense of _**wrongness**_ permeated the air and saturated his Mako enhanced senses.

**A/N**

Hey all fanfic lovers! This is my first time ever writing a story as you may have noticed, and I am desperately in need of feedback! I know there's not much story or characterization to comment upon yet, but anything you give me will help me write faster and get more chapters out!

I've got a short second chapter worked out so far and a rough plotline to follow along, but I'm really interested in help. Any possible Beta readers out there? Message me and we'll see if we can't work together! I'd especially like some help with any fighting scenes that may come up… as a new writer that idea is quite intimidating!

Anyway, as soon as I pick up a Beta and school gets done this week expect an update! No promises on speed though since this is my first try! I hope you enjoyed and consider coming back for future installments!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hello Cloud. Good to see you." Silver hair, green eyes, a burning anger that had never extinguished.

Cloud wheeled around but there wasn't any one there. He drew one of the blades of Tsurugi from his back that wasn't too corroded yet. "Why are you here?"

"To say goodbye of course. Mother sends her regards, you are the last of her children alive after all."

"Shut up! I was never hers, and I never will be! But why are you doing this? Whats the point!" Cloud bit out in anger.

"A last bid, a gambit to make my dream succeed. It didn't work though." Cloud could see delicate features scrunching in displeasure in his mind's eye. "The Planet died before my will could overcome it, it had already been weakened too much. I would reach out and kill you like I did the dark one, but you are too tied to the Lifestream now. With the Planet panicking in its death throes I could not focus my control enough to single you out."

"I don't understand, you're choking the Lifestream. You and Jenova, nothing has been born in over a hundred years! How can you not kill me?" Cloud asked, silently hoping that he might learn how to break that very hold.

"Cloud, Cloud, Cloud. You never learn do you? I did this to take it all away from you. After all, you cherish everything don't you?" Sephiroth said with amusement dancing in his eyes. "I could never defeat you in centuries of battle, and so now I brought you low by taking everything away from you. If I cannot win, then I shall die taking everything away from you. I killed your friends, the Planet is going to die, and my will shall soon be released into the cosmos to find a new planet to rule, as Mother did before me… Goodbye Cloud." With a smirk Sephiroth vanished as if he'd never been.

The world shook. Cloud rushed outside to see what was going on, only to stop in despair. The earth was breaking under his feet. The skies began ripping open above him displaying a spectrum of colors never seen before on the Planet and as the atmosphere disintegrated the oxygen in the air became fire. Water flew from the ground in great plumes toward the hole in the sky as sound exploded around him and within him. The stars were screaming and thoughts of _PAINTERRORDISMAY _and _ANGERCONFUSIONDETERMINATION _exploded from the Lifestream as Sephiroth's hold finally broke away as the Planet began to disintegrate.

Cloud fell to his knees from the sheer intensity of the Planet's shout. He'd never been this in tune with the Planet before, and the utter force of it was staggering. He was no Cetra, all he'd ever gotten were vague impressions, and speaking with Aeris had always been more of her doing than his. The immense pressure was more than he could bear. He could feel his soul being torn apart by the pressure the Planet was putting upon him as the sole living being left alive. He was a focal point, every single soul from the Lifestream was attempting to cry out, to escape through him. All the souls of the ages, plants, animals, people, monsters, summons and Cetra, pushing their thoughts and emotions through him in an incoherent mass that cost him control of his body as the back of his head smashed into the ground. And still behind it all, the will of the Planet pushing at him.

The Planet let out another scream as the already overwhelming pressure intensified and changed somehow as the entirety of the Lifestream focused solely upon him and he let loose a scream as he lost control of his body and he hit the ground cradling his head as thoughts of _RELATIVITYOFTIME-ANGER-THECYCLEOFEVENTS-REGRET-WILLTOSURVIVE-LOVE _and _PURPOSEREBIRTH _rushed through him in an incomprehensible flood. Before the sky turned black and Cloud's last thought was relief that it was all finally over.

**A/N **

**So I really, really hoped to have a Beta to check this thing over before I started doing new chapters, and before I released this chapter even! But no one will respond to anything I send on here, so it looks like I'll have to go it alone for now. But I am still looking for help! If you're good with grammar, or good with plotlines and characterization, I would LOVE your help! Please check out my profile page and send me an email! I would love to have somebody to check over my mistakes and to help me bounce ideas off of. Let me know! And if you liked the chapter, please review! (Or even if you didn't!)**


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